12alpha halo steroids of the androstane series



April 5, 1956. These 12a-ha1o-steroids of the pregnane series are of the general formula 120: HALO STEROIDS OF THE ANDROSTANE 5 SERIES CHzOH Josef Fried, Princeton, N.J., assignor to Olin Mathieson (21181111081 Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporatron of Virginia No Drawing. Filed May 9, 1958, Ser. No. 734,104 0 p wherein the 1,2 and 4,5-positions are either double-bonded Thi applicatio i a continuatiomimpart of my parent 15 or saturated, and R, R, and X are as hereinbefore defined. application S i l 57 5 filed April 5, 1956, now Representative 12a-halo steroids of the pregnane series b d nsd- YITH'S nvention relates to the Synthesis of included: 12a-chlorocortisone; 12u-fluorocortisone; 12avalu able steroids, and more particularlyto the synthesis chlorohydmcortisone; fluorohydrocorfisone; of ter id f th androstane sedes I chloroallopregnane 1711,21 diol 3,11,20 trione; 120c- ;'One, of the objects of this invention is the provision fiuoroauopregnane 17%21 l 3,11,20 trione; 12aof a'n'adv'antageous process ofpreparing steroids of the fluoroauopregnane 5 tl'iol 3,20 110116; androstane (including androstene and etiocholane) series chloro AM PTegnadiene 17%21 diol 3,11,20 trione; having a l2oc-fi110r0 (or chloro) substituent and an 115'- fluoro Pmgnadiene 17%21 1101 3 hydroxy (or ll-keto) substituent. tri011$; and fluoro AM Preglladiefie 5, 5

Another object of this invention is the provision of tl'iol 3,20 d n certain compounds useful for th ir Own h i l i l The conversion of the 12u-halosteroids of the pregnane activity. p v 7 series into the corresponding 12a-halo steroids of the The compounds of this invention o i id f androstane series is best effected by reacting the former the androstane series having a l2u-fluoro (or chloro) subi an idiZiHg agent in an acid solution. Suitable stituent and an llB-hydroxy or ll-keto substituent. oxidizing agents included Compounds containing a heXathe corresponding 12a-halo-11 8-hydroxy (or ll-k t i) valent chromic ion (e.g. chromic oxide) or compounds Steroids of this invention can be obtained by idi i containing a bismuthate ion (eg. alkali metal bismuthate the corresponding 12a-haloa1 113-hydroxy (or ll-keto) such as sodium bismuthate). Glacial acetic acid may be steroids of the pregnane series. used as a suitable solvent. The reaction is most desirably Among the compounds of this invention are those of conducted at roomtemperature- If an fly the general formula: steroid of the pregnane series is used as a reactant, the

androstane derivative formed will depend on the oxidizing agent employed. Thus if chromic oxide in glacial acetic acid is used, an ll-keto derivative is formed, where- 40 as, if sodium bismuthate is employed, the llfi-hydroxy .radical is unafiected and an llfl-hydroxy androstane derivative is produced.

steroids of the androstane series are useful as androgens,

since, unlike the corresponding l2oc-b1'Om0 or iodo derivatives, they possess testoid activity. Accordingly, the com- Wherem the 1,2 and 4,5-pos1t1ons are either double-bonded Pounds of this invention can be used in lieu of known or Saturated (Preferably the LZ'posmon 15 Saturated and androgenic steroids, such as testosterone and methylthe"4,5- osition is double-bonded R 's h dro n, R is. phydmiy or together R and g ken) is fildmgen I testosterone; thus, they may be admlmsteredperorally m is fi h'ydroxy or to ether R 1,, keto and the treatment of eunichoidism, being formulated for such g administration in the same type of preparations as testosis chloro or fluoro. p r or or staminainanimate? 11-15%)- 'stero1ds of andmstane senes Prepamble by The following examples are illustrative of the inventhe-- process of this invention include: 12m-chloro-A andros tene 1h8- 01- 3,17 dione; 12a chloro A androst'ene-3,11,17 trione; 12dfluoro A androstene- EXAMPLE 1 115 ol 3,17 dione; 12a fluoro A androstene 3,11,17 trione; 12a fluoro (or chloro) androstanelza'chloro androstene mane 11p ol 3,17-d-ione; 12cc fluoro (or chloro) androstane- A solution of 50 mg. of 12a-chlorocortisone in 4 ml. of 3,11,1'Z/ trione; v12oz fluoro (or chloro) etiocholaneglacial acetic acid and 4 of water is shaken with 350 tion (all temperatures being in centigrade):

11/3 gol 3,17 dione; and 12a fluoro (or chloro)- mg. of sodium bismuthate at room temperature for 40 etiocholane- 3,11,17 7 trione. 1 minutes. The mixture is filtered and the filter cake washed The l2a-halo' llfi-liydroxy (or ll-keto) steroids of the thoroughly with chloroform. After separation of the pregnane series, utilizable as starting materials in the phases, the chloroform solution is-washed with sodium can be prepared by the method bicarbonate andwater, dried over sodium sulfate and process of this invention I disclosed in our-"application Serial No... 576,2'59, filed evaporated to dryness in vacuo. The residue upon crystallization from 95% alcohol produces 12oc-Cl1l0IO-A androstene-3,1l,l7-trione having the following properties: M.P. about 201-202":

max 5.73 1. 5.85 ,u, 599 u, 6.19 [.L

EXAMPLE 2 To a solution of 100 mg. of l2a-chlorocortisone in ml. of glacial acetic acid is added a solution of 120 mg. of chromic acid in 6 ml. of glacial acetic acid. After one hour at room temperature 0.5 ml. of alcohol is added and after an additional 5 minutes, the solution is evaporated to near-dryness. The residue is distributed between 5 ml. of water and 20 ml. of chloroform, and the resulting chloroform solution extracted with water, dilute sodium bicarbonate and again with water. After drying over sodium sulfate, the chloroform is removed in vacuo and the chloroform residue is crystallized from acetonehexane affording 12a-chloro-A -androstene-3,1l,l7-trione, identical with the compound prepared in Example 1.

EXAMPLE 3 12u-fluaro-M-androsten2-3,]1,17-tri0ne By substituting 50 mg. of 12a-fluorocortisone for the 12a-chlorocortisone in the procedure of Example 1, 12afiuoro-A -andr-ostene-3,l1,17-trione is obtained.

EXAMPLE 4 1 Zea-chloro-n -amirostene-l 1 (3-0l-3,1 7-dione By substituting 50 mg. of l2u-chlorohydrocortisone for the l2a-chlorocortisone in the procedure of Example 1, l2a-chloro-A -androstene-llfi-ol-3,17-dione is produced.

Similarly, by substituting an equivalent amount of 12afiuorohydrocortisone for the 12a-chlorocortisone in the procedure of Example 1, there is obtained l2a-fluoro-A androstene-l l p-ol-3 ,17-dione.

EXAMPLE 5 12u-chlo ro-A -mzdrostadime-3,11,1 7-trione By substituting 50 mg. of 12o-chloro-A -pregnadiene- 17a, 21-diol-3,1l,20-trione for the l2a-chlorocortisone in the procedure of Example 12a-chloro-A -androstadiene 3,11,17-trione is formed.

Similarly other l2a-fluoro-A -androstadiene-3,l1,17- trione can be prepared from 12a-fluoro-A -pregnadiene- 17oc,21-dlOl-3,l1,20-l1i01'16.

EXAMPLE 6 12a-chloro-aridrostane-3J1 ,1 7-tri0ne By replacing the 12a-chlorocortiosone in Example 1 with 40 mg. of l2a-chloroallopregnane-l7a,21-diol- 3,11,20-tn'one, there is formed l2a-chloroandrostane- 3,1 l,l7- trione.

Similarly l2u-fluoro-androstane-3,11,17-trione and 12afluoro (or chlono)-androstane-l1fl-ol-3,17-diones can be prepared from 120: fluoro allopregnane 17a,21-diol- 3,11,20-trione and lZa-flllOI'O (or chloro)-allopregnane- 11B,17a,21-triol-3 ,ZO-dione, respectively.

Aside from their use as androgens, the compounds of this invention are also useful intermediates in the preparation of the l7B-hydroxy androstane derivatives. Thus the IZa-fluo-ro (or chloro)-17-keto steroids of the invention can be converted to S-ethylene ketals or enamine derivatives of a secondary base (e.g. pyrrolidine) in the usual manner, and the resulting derivatives, with the 3- keto group protected, can be reacted with an alkali boron or aluminum hydride to furnish the corresponding 17,8- hydroxy derivatives (if the oxygenat 11 is ketonic an 11 B-hyroxy group will result).

The invention may be variously otherwise embodied within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. 12u-ch1oro-A -androstene-3,1 1,17-trione.

2. l2a-fiuoro-A -androstene-3,11,17-trione.

4 3. l2a-chloro-A -androstene-l 1fi-ol-3, l7-dione. 4. 12a-chloro-A -androstadiene-3,1 1, 17-t1'ione. 5. l2a-chloro-androstane-3,l1,17-trione. 6. The process for preparing a compound selected wherein R is hydrogen, R is p-hydroxy, and together R and R is keto, and X is selected from the group consistmg of fluoro and chloro, which comprises treating a corresponding steroid selected from the group consisting of those of the general formulae CHzOH CHaOH and (IJHZOH C:

wherein R, R and X are as above defined, with an OXlCllZlIlg agent containing a bismuthate ion in an acidic medium. 7. The process of claim 6, wherein the oxidizing agent 1s sodium bismuthate.

8. The process of claim 6, wherein the steroid is 12mchlorocortisone.

9. The process of claim 6, wherein the steroid is 12mchlorohydrocortisone.

10. The process of claim 6, wherein the'steroid is 12mchloro-A -pregnadiene-17a,2l-diol-3,11,20-trione.

11. A compound selected from the stermds of the general formulae:

group consisting "of 5 and References Cited in the file of this patent x 0 UNITED STATES PATENTS R 2,776,302 Ruzicka et a1. Jan. 1, 1957 5 2,813,109 Colton e1: e1 Nov. 12, 1957 R! OTHER REFERENCES Meystre et 31.: Helv. Chim. Acta., vol. 32, pages 1978-92 (1949). 0 1o Fieser and Fieser: Natural Products Related to Phenwherein R is hydrogen, R is p-hydroxy, and together R anthem (3rd Eamon 1949) page and R is keto, and X is selected from the group consisting of fluoro and chloro.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No, 2,953,583 September 20, 1960 Josef Fried v I I I I I I I O It 1s hereby certlf-led that error appears 1n the prlnted apeclflcatlon of the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column l, line 30, fo "the carresponding l2ahalor-ll[3 hydroxy (or ll-keto)" read The l2uhalo-ll[5hydr0xy (or 11- keto) and should app-ear as the beginning of a new paragraph; column 3, line 42, for "Examp1e" read, Example l column 3, line 63, for "the", second occurence, read thls Signed and sealed this 25th day of Aprilfll96l (SEAL) Atteat: v ERNEST W, SWIDER DAVID L. LADD Atteating Oficer Commissioner of Patents 

11. A COMPOUND SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF STEROIDS OF THE GENERAL FORMULA: 